If you notice a green dot at the top of your Android phone screen, it may be a warning sign that someone is watching your movements.
The dot is an indication that an app is using the sensors on your Android phone, either the microphone or the camera.
They can appear for completely innocent reasons, for example, if you are using a voice recorder application or making a call.
But if you see the green dot and you don't know why it's there, it may be a sign of "spyware" apps on your phone.
In this regard, the "Daily Mail" website detailed how a similar warning sign sometimes appears on "iPhone" devices.
Fortunately, it's easy to identify which app is using your microphone (the privacy indicator point was added to every Android phone in the Android 12 update).
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jimmy Akhtar, CEO and co-founder of CyberSmart, said: 'Most of the time, you don't have to worry about a green dot, but if you suspect you're being spied on, you should act quickly. Green color on the Android screen. In most cases, this simply means that an app is using your device's microphone (or camera). This can be caused by any third-party app or a core function of your device such as a voice assistant. The most likely reason is simply that you've been given App permission to access your camera or microphone even when they are not in use. Check this in the Permissions section of your device settings. If not, it may mean that your phone has been hacked and is using spyware to keep track of what you do.
And if you suspect you have spyware installed on your phone, Akhtar recommends running a malware scan (open Play Store, tap Your Profile, Play Protect, Scan.
And Akhtar recommends changing your passwords (especially important ones like email passwords).
And if you see the green dot, it's very easy to see which app launched it.
Swipe down from the top of the screen if you see the green dot, and you'll see a microphone or camera, to show the sensor in use.
- Tap on the icon, and you will see which app is using it.
From that screen, you can revoke the app's permissions to use your microphone or camera.
You can also see a clear history of which apps were using which sensor, minute by minute.
From this screen, tap the app that was using your microphone or camera, and you can see a full list of sensors that the app is using.
From here, you can revoke the permissions (although it's worth noting that some apps require the permissions to work, for example, Voice Recorder won't be used much without access to the microphone).
And if you were worried about which apps were accessing the sensors in your phone, Google also introduced a new privacy dashboard feature in the Android update itself.
This provides an overview of which apps have accessed your device's sensors, as well as private information such as call logs and contacts.
To access it, open the Settings app and tap Security & privacy.
To find the Privacy Dashboard, you may need to click Privacy again. Click Privacy Dashboard.
To change app permissions, just tap on permissions like location, microphone, calendar, call logs, and contacts from the list.
And you can allow apps to use sensors all the time, only when they are opened or not opened at all.
The Wall Street Journal : How to deal with the speed of running out of the "iPhone" battery?
It's been less than a year since Apple launched the iPhone 14, but it seems that users are already having problems with their smartphones.
Many iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro users have taken to social media to complain that their batteries are draining unexpectedly quickly.
And one user posted a screenshot of his battery life, showing a maximum capacity of just 89%.
And this is despite Apple's claim that its batteries should "retain up to 80% of their original capacity at 500 full charge cycles when operating under normal conditions."
“Did the always-on display — which is new to the iPhone Pro models and I kept it on through the first half of the year — cause capacity to shrink faster,” Joanna Stern, senior personal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal, wrote in her newsletter. ?, Is the phone not cooling or dissipating heat like other models?Maybe it's the fact that I'm running beta software?'"
Here's what to do if you have one of the affected models and notice that your battery is draining:
Apple recommends updating to the latest software, dimming the screen brightness, and using WiFi when available.
Put your iPhone into low power mode.
Apple said Low Power Mode lowers screen brightness, improves device performance, and reduces system animations.
Apps including Mail won't download content in the background, and features like AirDrop, iCloud sync, and Continuity will be disabled. And you can still use the main functions like making and receiving phone calls, email, messages, internet access, and more. And when your phone charges again, Low Power Mode turns off automatically.
Tags:
technology